“Mom, can we talk?”

Eunbyeol slipped her small frame through the narrow space from their living room to her mom’s home office. That evening, her heart was thumping fast inside her ribcage, threatening to jump out any second. There were different types of emotion inside, fueled by the fear of being a disappointment to the woman who brought her up alone.

“Yes, baby,” her mother mumbled as she continued browsing through figures on the documents she was holding. There was a hint of half-heartedness in her reply.

The younger girl frowned as she carefully dragged her feet to get near her mom. She sat on the couch adjacent to the busy individual as her heart ached a little that her mother didn’t even spare her a single glance even when she entered the room. But she got to understand. Doing inventories even for a small grocery store as theirs has always been quite difficult, after all.

Fair enough, she thought to herself. Saying what she has to say isn’t easy too anyway. Yet, full attention was necessary.

“Can you stop doing that for a second?” Eunbyeol recklessly asked. She was desperate.

Mrs. Cho was surprised at her daughter’s request. She wasn’t the type to demand like that as she fully understands the nature of her job. ‘Something must have happened,’ she concluded in her mind as she immediately closed the notebook and set aside the computations she had been working on since that afternoon.

“What is it?” She asked, her voice now clouded with matriarchal authority. As she turned to face her daughter, the intensity of a mother’s aura was felt.  

If it was even possible, Eunbyeol’s insides shook more than how she was trembling outside. Her hands were clasped together on her lap, her lips quivering in fear and anxiety. Funny how she was asking for her mother’s full attention just a few seconds ago, but when she got it, she wished she never did.

But she’s got to do what she disturbed her mom for, right? Even though she has no idea about the possible repercussions, she knew she should do it.

“I--,“ the girl stuttered, a lump forming in . “I’mgettingmarried.”

Eunbyeol tried to say it as fast as she could, but Mrs. Cho wasn’t an idiot not to hear it right away. But the interesting part was she chuckled. She actually chuckled.

“What joke is this, Cho Eunbyeol?” She asked between her breathless chortles. There’s no way her daughter’s getting married at the age of 19, when she just graduated from high school. It was a hilarious joke she had never seen coming. She never even thought her baby has this sense of humor.

However, the humor died down as fast as it came as the older woman witnessed the younger’s girl’s tears flowing from her eyes. The latter’s hands were balled up into fists, and it was so tight that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.

That’s when Mrs. Cho realized that it wasn’t a joke.

“W-what…” Her eyes widened in shock as her breathing stopped momentarily. hung wide open as the intensity of the revelation slowly sank in. “Baby, what are you saying?” She mouthed breathlessly, hoping that her daughter just has a sick sense of humor.

Eunbyeol sniffed as she wiped her tears with the back of her hands. Her gaze was still not leaving the floor. “I need to get married,” she revealed.

With this, Mrs. Cho lost it. “ARE YOU PREGNANT!?”

The young girl’s eyes widened at her mother’s conclusion, although she knew it would be any sane person's first thought. “NO!” She immediately retorted. “NO, MOM, I SWEAR I’M NOT PREGNANT!”

“THEN WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED TO GET MARRIED?! FOR GOD’S SAKE, CHO EUNBYEOL, YOU’RE ONLY 19!” Her mom bellowed.

Terribly trembling, tears started to stream from Eunbyeol’s eyes again. It was a mix of guilt and shame that clearly overtaken her for putting her mother in such a difficult position. She wasn’t even sure if she had thought enough of it. God, the last time she remembers, she was supposed to ask the opinion of her mother – not to break down to her a grave decision she made on her own.

How it all arrived to this, she really couldn’t tell. Maybe, it is her unconscious did all the ridiculous thinking.

“Mom, please understand,” she pleaded. “I need to marry Kim Junmyeon.”

It’s as if her soul left for a moment. The older woman’s breathing hitched at the sound of the name. “K-Kim Junmyeon?” She stuttered. “T-That guy who lent us money?”

Eunbyeol shut her eyes as she nodded. She never liked that description. Yes, he was the guy who lent them money when they were being chased by their landlady for not being able to pay a three-month worth of rent; but she never wanted her mom to remember him as that rich guy who helped them because that makes her feel like a charity case. She wanted everyone to remember that he’s her best friend, and it’s for their friendship that he did such act of kindness.

“Yes, that Kim Junmyeon,” she mumbled as she bit her lip. “My best friend, Kim Junmyeon.”

The color on Mrs. Cho’s face disappeared as she hastily concluded something horrible. “Is this some sort of a payback for everything he did for us?”

This time, Eunbyeol had to open her eyes to see her mother’s reactions. As she landed her gaze on hers, surprise caught her off guard. Her eyes were glistening with tears, of fear that it’s her daughter who’s paying for the mistakes she had committed throughout her life; and of embarrassment, that she couldn’t give her enough that she had to sacrifice herself for their two-manned family’s sake.

Somehow, it made her think. Is this really just some sort of payback? Did he really ask her because he knew she could never say ‘no’ because they’re indebted to him, after all?

“No,” Eunbyeol decided. “Junmyeon is my best friend and he badly needs my help so his company can survive. He needs to save their family business and he could only do that by marrying someone like me.”

A piercing pain in the heart caught her off guard as soon as she had spoken the few last words; but she refused to pay attention to it. It doesn’t mean anything anyway. All she has to do is to charge it to her being the best friend and get it over with.

Giving her mother no chance to ask, the younger woman proceeded to telling everything that happened and has to happen. She also explained her decision and why she wanted to agree. Mrs. Cho couldn’t believe it though. It frightens her that her daughter may have been thoughtless about this whole situation; but she trusts her enough not to mess up on things like this. After all, she had always been independent and she never once disappointed her big time.

But still, it’s innate in a mother to protect her child, right? So it’s just normal that she’s still against the decision.

Mothers know best, they always say; and Mrs. Cho can attest to that. She knows her daughter perfectly to conclude that there is something beyond the idea of ‘best friends’ that pushes her to this kind of circumstance.

“Do you like Junmyeon?” The older woman asked.

Eunbyeol clicked her tongue. “Mom, I think that’s out of topic,” she commented.

Mrs. Cho was adamant though, yet her gaze softened as it rested on her daughter’s face which was now turned to her right. “Do you like Junmyeon?” She repeated her question, this time with more firmness.

The younger woman slowly - but bravely - stared back at her mother. “I don’t know, mom,” she finally admitted in a hushed voice. “But in this problem, I need to be the best friend that I am so please try to understand that I need all the support I can get to be able to support him,” she pleaded.

Instantly, Eunbyeol was pulled into a tight hug. Comforting strong arms wrapped around her tiny body, causing her to feel so secured. “I don’t want you to get hurt,” her mother whispered, her breath tickling the side of her head. 

Mothers know best; and no matter how difficult it is, the older woman didn’t need time to conclude that her daughter had just made a decision and there’s no breaking it – not because she couldn’t, but because she doesn’t want Eunbyeol to think that she’s not trusted. Mrs. Cho knew so well that her baby’s grown up now and can fairly take care of her own self.

Plus, a person can never learn, grow and mature without experiencing problems. If being called to an absurd situation as this is a challenge, then what kind of person is she to stop fate from unfolding? It's frightening, because the last thing she wanted is to see her daughter in pain. But then, people have to experience regrets to develop into better individuals; and if there’s one person who will know that so well, it’s gonna be her.

“Forget about what he needs. Is this what you really want?” She asked her daughter in her embrace, one last time, hoping that somehow, it will change her baby's mind.

Eunbyeol returned the hug, tighter and more assuring. Fear and worries coursed through her veins; but she knew what she wanted to do – and so she nodded.

Her mother released her and stared at her soul through her eyes. “Just please don’t get hurt too much,” Mrs. Cho pleaded.

Tears welled up in the younger girl’s eyes as thorns felt like they were plucked out of her heart. Wordlessly, she nodded – immensely grateful for having the best mother in the whole wide world.